The British Columbia Islet Transplant Program

admin — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:44:19 +0000

The dream of a needle free treatment of Diabetes, has long challenged researchers to find an alternative and yet sustainable substitute for insulin injection. For years, the only alternative source of treatment proven to work was whole pancreas transplantation. This was until 1990, that Dr.Warnock and his team at the University of Alberta performed Canada’s first successful islet cell transplantation. This work was then continued by Dr. Garth Warnock , Head of UBC and VGH Department of Surgery and Dr. Mark Maloche, Head, Section of Surgery at B.C. Transplant Society ( who are both BC’s Ike Barber Co-directors of the Islet Transplant Program).

This laboratory revolves around two core facilities, one being a clinical laboratory, directed by Dr. Ziliang Ao, and the other is a basic science laboratory, directed by Dr. Dawei Ou, which work side by side to provide the leading edge information on Islet Cell Transplantation.

The Ike Barber Human Islet Transplant Laboratory was created through the generous donations of Mr. Irving K. Barber Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Woodward’s Foundation, UBC alumnus, BC Transplant Society (BCT) and through a partnership of two health authorities: The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and The Provincial Health Services Authority’s B.C.

Islet lab

The British Columbia Islet Transplant Program